


Vengeance Laid to Rest

by CrystalTsuyoshi



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 04:17:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10632015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalTsuyoshi/pseuds/CrystalTsuyoshi
Summary: A year after the Reaper War and the cleaning up hasn't stopped. Pain makes it difficult for those who knew Shepard to move on. Some more than others.So what happens when the dead come back once again? When a past long since forgotten hunts the woman who once feared nothing?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how often I'll update this. But I got me a soft spot for a Bad Boy in Mass Effect. Hope you enjoy this.

_The Omni-tool was cold and heavy in my grasp. So foreign and yet not. It wasn't even mine but I wore it nonetheless. After all, it held a message that I felt Dalatrass Linron needed to hear. That everyone needed to hear before we left Tuchanka. They didn't question me as I lurched towards the vidcom room with uneasy steps._

_It took a few moments for me to calm myself. Many times I felt my legs threatening to give out from under the weight of my body. Made the simple task all the harder, but even with shaking hands I somehow managed to connect everything together. So it was with a heavy heart my fingers hit the single button which would connect me to the more than likely impatient female Salarian awaiting on the other end. But it was okay, soon everyone would know his final wish. Even those down on Tuchanka._

“ _Commander, there is something we should discuss...if you are finished rewriting history.”_

_There was no sound, no biting fury lacing my normally sharp tongue. Just silence. Painful and lingering with the weight of the reality I now faced._

_Fighting back verbally was pointless just this once. All I could manage was looking over the newly placed Omni-tool which rest upon my left arm. Then with a press of a button, everything flicked green. We were connected now. Our words echoed to everyone on board the Normandy. No one would miss this. Not as long as I could help it._

“ _...”_

_So I remained silent. And I would let the Dalatrass rant all she wanted to._

“ _You do realize what you've done, yes? We'll have billions of Krogan soon. I dare say it's a good thing you saved my life once. Otherwise...”_

“ _I had to.” My voice hardly audible and cracking finally came when beckoned. “Mordin was my friend. What you asked of me I could not do. Out of respect for him. Out of respect for Wrex. Their friendship means so much more to me than anything you could have promised me.” I gave a painful but dry laugh. “And Mordin was right 'had to be him'. But you never really cared about what it was costing me did you?”_

“ _Costing you? How can you be so selfish right now Shepard! Think of all the harm you're doing for the entire galaxy!”_

“ _Harm? **Harm**?! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HARM!” I screamed my fury at the woman._

“ _The Krogan are monsters and-”_

“ _ **The only monster I see is you.** ” My fists clenched tightly. “How many suffered because you and yours decided to play God to the Krogan! You never tried to understand them, to see from their eyes how this affected them, to see how you shattered not only people but an entire culture! Tell me how you can justify those actions!”_

“ _You could never understand why we did what we did.”_

“ _You're right. I won't. Because I will never lower myself to murdering helpless children like you. Mordin saw the errors. And it ate him alive, he didn't want to see them suffer anymore. And he entrusted me to make sure that it would get done. What was I suppose to do? Shoot him?”_

_The long pause for an answer was all the answer I needed. Under my breath, I cursed her name in as many tongues as I knew. And the Dalatrass paid no mind much to my annoyance._

“ _Well, I weep for our loss. Mordin was--”_

“ _Don't you DARE.” I saw red for the briefest of moments and I wondered if she saw the shift in my eye color at that moment. While I would never have the answer for that question I at least knew she saw the fresh tear streaks down my face._

“ _I...I beg your pardon?”_

“ _You didn't know him!” I accused while pointing a finger at the image of her face. The Salarian recoiled at the motions. “You didn't know anything about him all that matters is that he was a Salarian who could mix you up another genophage! He was only valuable to you because of his work. And nothing more!”_

“ _How dare you insult me like that!”_

“ _Then prove me wrong!” I snapped._

“ _Excuse me?”_

“ _Tell me something only a friend would know.” It was a simple demand. One she could never hope to fulfill. “And I don't mean something so commonly known like his work, or his combat capabilities. I want you to tell me something like his favorite color, or what he did in his spare time. Something that any true friend of his would know.”_

_The Dalatrass looked a bit taken back as a moment of silence overcame the two of us. Slowly my head shook in open disappointment. “...Mordin had one dying wish. And I will be demand if you get in my way of fulfilling it. So do us both a favor: Just shut up and listen.”_

_My shaking arm lifted up and I hit the button to start to recording._

_The device sprang to life on my arm, the image of my dear friend was right in front of me. Still professional as always, and my heart twisted in fresh pain and a wave of weakness down to my legs. Thought it threatened to topple me I refused to falter._

“ _Shepard. Made sure would find this after Tuchanka. Even left with EDI knowing she would deliver when you got back. Won't take long to get to point. Has been fun traveling with you. Want you to know that you did the right thing, anyone else would have gotten it wrong. Thank you for letting me make amends.” I managed a small smile for just a heartbeat. Then it was swallowed up as my head lowered. My teeth gnashed together while fighting back the sobs which so desperately wished to be heard. “Only have one request. You pestered me to sing for so long. Would like the favor returned. Please, Shepard. Sing for me.”_

_For a moment I did nothing. My heart twisted itself into knots, part of my mind begged for this to be a sick joke. But I knew the truth, I had played my part and it wasn't going away just because I wished it. Even if part of me desired nothing more than to keep living in this blissful ignorance; pretending that he would waltz through the door at any second..._

_My mouth opened with no sound at first. So I closed it and focused before retrying. This was about Mordin and his wishes not about me and my pain._

“ _I...I am the very model of a scientist Salarian. I've studied species, Turian, Asari, and Batarian...” The song had been so full of life when Mordin had recited it. But my strained voice could only manage a slow, shaking rhythm._

_My limbs shook. So I forced them still. My voice attempted to refuse my request to work. But I willed it to work._

“ _I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology), because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology).”_

_I could feel my Shoulders heaving, legs wobbling – they were heavier than before. How was I even still standing? I just couldn't...I didn't **WANT** to say goodbye to him like this. He couldn't be gone! I didn't want him to be! A broken sob finally slipped from my throat as I hunched over, grabbing the console for support._

“ _My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian - ...I am...t-the very...model of...of...” Another shutter racked up my spine as my head shook. It was too much to ask...this was impossible to finish._

_My mind was racing with memories. Everything we had shared spilled into one blur only I could make sense of. Our laughter, our chatter, the meals together and the pains we endured together. All of it had been so short. And now he was just expecting me to go about this like nothing had happened? How could he – how could anyone – expect me to do that?_

_He was my friend god damn it!_

“ _Shepard.” The recording spoke once more pulling me from my heartbreaking thoughts. “Please, this will be hard I know. But I want you to move on. Feel best way is to put everything into song. Doing so will be helpful for you. So please, for me, as my final request, sing.”_

_I felt the hot wave of tears start up while a pang of regret twisted in my heart like a dagger._

“ _...O...f...a scientist Salarian!” My voice finally broke at last. “GOD DAMN IT I'M SORRY!”_

_I felt my legs come out from under me in the same motion I managed to bang a fist against the button ending the call. There was no reason for the Deletrass to see me crumpling into a sobbing broken mess on the floor._

 

As I began to wake I became distinctly aware of the throbbing pain in my head. Then came the acute pain from the rest of my body. Everything was in pain. Some more places more than others. But at least I was awake now. My breath started to sort itself out which thankfully took care of the tightness in my chest. There was a dampness still on my cheeks and as my eyes began to drift open I was aware of the burning sensation in them.

Why...?

I had believed that memory to be long gone, or at least I had hoped to be more prepared for it when it resurfaced again. Seems I'd been caught off guard just like last time. I now lay awake with my eyes trained upwards towards the ceiling. There wasn't anything particularly special about it, it just gave me something to do as I waited to fall back asleep. Thankfully I knew it wouldn't be long with a bed as soft as this so I closed my eyes and sighed.

_Wait a second._ My eyes snapped back open, details of the war and the last battle came flooding back to me all at once. In a mix of terror and confusion, I tried to sit up – and quickly found out that was a bad idea. My entire body screamed in protest before writhing against the pain I'd forced upon it. I hissed in pain while a new set of tears threatened to fall.

Where was I? How long had I been out for? Was I alone?

Much more frantic questions started bubbling to the surface as I began to force myself to sit up once more, it was met with as much success as the first attempt, however. Though I shouted my agony this time. Before a fruitless third attempt could be made a hand with three digits closed around my shoulder easing me up with assistance.

“Always the stubborn one.”

Though the voice was unearthly it didn't strike any chords of fear in me.

“Leviathan,” I breathlessly greeted.

“Your body is still weak. You need rest.”

“Answer somethin' for me before I do?” I looked over at the Salarian being used as its mouthpiece. “Well, maybe a few things...Why are you here with me? Where _is_ here? And...did I win?”

The hand of his puppet turned my head this way and that humming as he did then began to force me onto my back once more.

“The Reapers are dead.” Came the answer to the biggest question. “We are at a safe location. And we are not yet satisfied. Many questions remain unanswered.”

“About what?”

“You”

I looked at the Salarian blankly.

“The battle with the Reapers should have killed you, yet you are alive. Most of your body was broken and we fixed it. But you still drew breath when we found you. Why.”

“Yeah, I gotta be honest I thought I was dead too. So search me?”

“We will. And until we find those answers you will remain to serve us.”

“And what if I leave?”

“We will follow.”

Well, that wasn't exactly what I had expected. But hell I'd take it.

“Now Shepard. Rest and recover we will take care of the rest.”

“Yeah, sure,”

My eyelids closed of their own will. Maybe this time...my dreams would be happier.

 


End file.
